(1) Medicom Toy is celebrating the collaboration between Tron: Legacy and legendary electric duo Daft Punk by producing the masked musicians in Kubrick and RAH (Real Action Hero) form. They will release in late December as part of the Series 21 BE@RBRICK assortment ($4.99). The 400% BE@RBRICK ($199.99) and KUBRICK ($19.99) two-packs will release in mid-January. The RAH figures are expected to come out in April at $229.99 each. All the Daft Punk-inspired toys will feature the same outfits and helmets the duo wears in the cameo they make in the film.

The Marina Bay Sands Skypark, designed by architect Moshe Safdie, features a 150 meter long infinity swimming pool that stretches across three skyscraper structures 200 meters in the sky. With the edge of the swimming pool so close, how come the man pictured above is practicing his breast stroke without any sign of fear? It’s because falling off the edge won’t result in death by falling 55 stories to the ground; swimmers fall into a catchment area where excess water is re-released back into the main pool area. The hotel is the current record holder for having the largest pool at this height. Construction cost was around $80 million dollars. Other amenities include a “bar, restaurant and spa, botanical garden with 250 species of trees and 650 plants, and an observation deck that provides a panoramic view of the waterfront.” The observation deck can hold 900 people, while the Skypark itself can fit 3,900 people total. Look in the gallery below for images of the visually splendid Singapore-based hotel.

Five meters below the Indian Ocean sits a restaurant at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. To celebrate its five year exsistence the hotel is converting it into a private bedroom for two. This underwater loft is encased in plexiglass and is accessable by walking down a spiral staircase. Tranquility is the first word that pops in my mind.

Danish architect Christian Bay-Jorgensen wants to make it happen. Here’s the scoop: About two years ago the land that the famous Hollywood sign sits on went up for sale about two years ago. The non-profit Trust for Public Land is trying to save up enough money to buy the land and save it from being sold to real estate developers. I understand where the sign supporters are coming from; as Bay-Jorgensen puts it, “I know people are scared. I know they are afraid this idea will turn it into Disneyland.” However, it’s no secret that the Hollywood sign isn’t at all what it’s cracked up to be. It’s old, tiny, and has simply lost its shine since it was introduced in the 1920s. It’s time for a change, and turning the sign into a bigger and more expansive hotel is an intriguing possibility. If given the opportunity, Bay-Jorgensen would turn it into a boutique hotel, doubling the size of the sign. He explains: “…when tourists from other countries come to see the sign, they imagine a majestic structure. Instead, they see plywood and white paint. This area should be more public. I think this could be something that could improve the experience of the LA resident, to let them see the sign in a new way.” I couldn’t agree more.

The sign supporters have been given a 16 day extension to come up with $12.5 million to preserve the land. If the deadline comes around and they can’t cough up the money, it’s likely we might see Hollywood Sign 2.0, hotel edition sometime in the near future. Check out some conceptual images of the hotel in the gallery below.

Update: The Hollywood Sign has been “saved” according to the latest reports. Playboy founder Hugh Hefner donated $900,000 to the non-profit trust that just tried their darndest to keep the sign as it is. And with that huge chunk o’ money, the $12.5 million total was reached. And any dreams of a hotel have been crushed. [Via Stuff.co.nz]

Designed by Asymptote Architecture with lighting by Arup. Located in Abu Dhabi.

The Yas Hotel has been wrapped in a sheeth “of more than 5,300 diamond-shaped panels bristling with over 5,000 LED fixtures.” The LEDs can support color change and even display low resolution 3D video. Underneath the penis-shaped LED coating is the Yas Hotel that includes two 12-story buildings and a Formula-1 racetrack.

The windows are deliberately created in an opaque glass to block out the immediate surroundings & allow the public spaces to have an ambience of their own, whilst allowing natural light. Concrete fins are arranged around the windows offer privacy from the adjacent office buildings whilst also acting as a heat barrier. Through these combined efforts the air conditioning cost is thus reduced by over 25 %.

The spaces are thus defined in complete contextual terms to the site, its surroundings & location and the climate of the city. The punctuated rectilinear volume of the hotel with LED lit circular glass windows renders it dynamic by night while it looks sculptural & creates a strong presence with a unique character.